Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients suffering from depression, who do not respond to medical treatment. However it is often dismissed by patients, who feel uncomfortably about the application of electric shocks to their heads. In 2000, magnetic seizure therapy (MST) has been introduced which uses magnetism instead of electricity to evoke convulsions. MST seems to be as effective as ECT in terms of its antidepressant potency but may be associated with less severe cognitive side effects.